This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 633

A voice that brings a sense of calm just by listening.

If there were an mp3 file titled “The Ideal Student Council President’s Voice,” I think it would sound just like this as it echoed through the room.

When I turned my gaze toward the direction of that voice, what met my eyes was the face of my Senior.

What else is there to say?

The person who had climbed what felt like hundreds of stairs to reach where Bora and I were was none other than my Senior.

And the moment I laid eyes on the expression on my Senior’s face, I instinctively understood.

I understood who had sent my Senior here.

It was probably someone who desperately wanted to stop me but couldn’t bring themselves to intervene directly.

“Have you come?” I asked, trying to keep my tone steady.

Perhaps this realization affected me.

Until I saw my Senior’s expression, my heart had been soaked in confusion and anxiety, but upon confirming her face, it unnervingly calmed down.

Despite how sudden my Senior’s arrival must have seemed from my perspective, I was able to greet her without flinching, thanks to that calm.

And even though it would seem like I was late to the party saying this now after everything had already unfolded, to be honest, I wasn’t totally caught off guard by my Senior’s appearance.

After all, just as I had anticipated much earlier, there was no way Chae-rim would just sit back and do nothing.

And true to my expectations, the result of Chae-rim’s efforts stood before me now.

“Did your sister ask you to come? To convince me or something?”

“Right.”

To be honest, I was a bit surprised.

I never thought my Senior would acknowledge it so openly like that, so casually and straightforwardly.

Perhaps that surprise was evident on my face.

Seeing my expression, my Senior’s lips curled into a gentle smile.

“Why? Surprised to see me admit it so readily?”

“…A little.”

“But it’s the truth.”

Yet, really, what reason would there be to lie?

My Senior seemed to be saying just that.

Thanks to this, I was left at a loss for words.

Could it be that she had planned this reaction all along?

While I was caught up in such suspicions, my Senior maintained her warm smile.

However, it didn’t come off as overly cheerful.

Rather, it felt more like a means to instill a sense of reassurance in the other party.

The surprising thing was that this method worked remarkably well.

Looking at my Senior’s face made me understand why our ancestors said not to spit on a smiling face.

If my Senior had stood before me with an expression that screamed determination, I might have been able to prepare myself accordingly.

But with her serene smile, no matter how hard I tried to fortify my guard, it kept crumbling.

Could it be that showing such calmness made it easier to persuade me?

After a moment of silently studying my face, my Senior finally spoke again.

“While it was indeed my sister’s request to come here, I made the choice to come this far on my own.”

Her voice remained soft and steady.

Even though it was the same as what I had heard moments before, hearing it now made something surge and swell from deep within my heart.

“I suppose so.”

I reacted sharply without meaning to, and reflecting on it now, she had only come to persuade me based on what Chae-rim told her…

Even though I was aware of this fact, irritation and anger bubbled up within me.

I found myself wishing that she had just stayed silent like before.

I didn’t want to direct any frustration toward my Senior.

With everything boiling inside of me, just managing to keep them in check felt like it would burst my head, and adding to that with further stimuli pushed me to the edge.

I wanted to wrap up this conversation somehow.

In truth, no matter what my Senior said, I had no intention of being persuaded or changing my mind at this point.

“If you’re saying this, you must know this too.”

So… I decided to firmly state my stance once and for all.

“Everything about me being here, and seeking Bora for help, was entirely my choice.”

Just as you came here of your own will, I am here of my own will.

So please, don’t try to persuade me.

I voiced this with the coldest and firmest tone I could muster, hoping my resolve would reach her…

But the conclusion is, despite my efforts, it had no real effect.

If I had thought a single word would manage to persuade me, I wouldn’t have even gone this far.

Yet my Senior didn’t blink an eye at my declaration.

Much like when I first laid eyes on her.

Well, it was clear that simple words wouldn’t persuade me.

Even though I thought I had spoken decisively, it amounted to merely a single sentence.

Yeah, it was ultimately just a word.

Somewhere, someone might repay a thousand debts with just that, but the chasm between my Senior and me was far too deep and wide to bridge with such a trivial thing.

Thus we would inevitably remain on parallel paths.

Unless one of us declared surrender first, that is.

And that one would be… my Senior.

Because despite everything, I had no intention of giving up.

“Of course… I know.”

“If you know, then please go back. I don’t want to get mad at you for no reason.”

“…Sorry, but that seems a bit difficult.”

She already knew persuading me wouldn’t work, yet leaving now was out of the question for her.

Then what exactly did she plan to do?

‘Wait, are you…’

Is she actually planning to knock me out and drag me away?

Did that thought accidentally show on my face?

For the first time, a different expression appeared on my Senior’s face.

It was what people commonly refer to as a wry smile.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let Dogun use his talent on you.”

“…I know.”

But that was a lie.

And she… probably knew that too.

Yet for some reason, she could only express it like that, and the moment I had that fleeting doubt, I felt a pang of guilt.

“Because I know… can you just go back as is?”

“I told you I can’t do that.”

“So why can’t you?”

My voice suddenly spiked as another spike of frustration burst free from the mounting tension.

Perhaps due to that, my volume shot up uncontrollably.

Maybe startled by my sudden outburst, Bora’s eyes widened, having been glancing between us in silence.

Her shoulders trembled, and perhaps the surprise made the white paint she was holding drop from her brush onto the ground.

Seeing that spread across the floor made me realize anew.

We didn’t have time for this.

Just as I thought about that, everything froze thanks to my Senior’s unexpected presence.

Because of that, a new kind of bubbling started inside of me.

I just wished, if only we could revert to before this, as if nothing had happened.

My Senior’s voice cut through my reverie.

“I mean… Dogun, you would’ve done the same.”

Because I knew I’d behave the same way, I couldn’t yield either.

That sort of intense belief, hard to accept as altruism, momentarily choked me.

“…How would you know that, Senior?”

It felt like my throat was being squeezed shut.

That was precisely the state of the voice that slipped out.

“The day you and I went out together.”

“…?”

“If I told you at that moment to go back because I could handle the rest alone, would you have?”

Only after hearing that did I realize exactly when my Senior was speaking of.